Ukraine

In Ukraine, the Ministry of Health reported 9769 new cases of HIV infection from January to October 2023, with 2738 people diagnosed with AIDS and 1198 dying from AIDS. The registered number of people living with HIV in Ukraine is currently 158 803. Despite challenges posed by the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has made significant strides in expanding access to prevention, testing and treatment. Nongovernmental organizations have supported the Ukrainian national HIV programme in ensuring people, including those who are internally displaced, are receiving essential HIV-services. 
Info by World Health Organization 19 December 2023

Igor

Igor is a man with a rocky past. In the nineties he got addicted to drugs. He lived a life on the street and his future looked dark with no place to go. “I wanted a steady life far away from the world I was living in. I wanted a wife kids a steady job… a house…”. When he fell ill and was tested he heard that he was HIV-positive. 

It was the biggest challenge in his life to get clean. But he managed to do so. It is over 20 years ago now but he still celebrates the victory over that grim period every day.

He’s now been married for many years he found the woman he loves and he has two daughters who are doing well. He is a proud man and he’s got every reason to be so.

For more than a decade he has worked for a non-governmental HIV-aids organization in Kiev where he offers all kinds of social and medical help to the local HIV-community. “HIV is still a major problem in the Ukraine but despite the war we’re making progress in reaching out to our community. I will do this work as long as it is necessary.”

We spoke Igor by zoom.